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Austin company creates windpower for high-rise buildings
Austin company creates windpower for high-rise buildings
06:46 PM CDT on Wednesday, March 26, 2008
By TOM HARRIS
KVUE News
Photos: See the turbines in action Video
Austin company creates wind power on roof
03/26/2008
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Project Green
The high cost of fuel is putting a bigger demand on those searching for alternative energy sources.
It looks like at least one Austin company could be taking a leading role in the race.
A company called Building Turbines is looking to harness wind power to help keep the lights on in some major commercial buildings.
John F. Graham, Jr. is the son of the man who developed the technology.
"When the wind hits the building, some of the wind goes to the side... but it can't go beneath it. Most of that wind comes over the top,” said Graham.
Employees monitor all the all of the energy produced from their wind turbine in their offices one floor below
Graham said this is their third prototype and it is holding up much better than the first.
"It was made of Styrofoam and aluminum. It spun like a top but didn't hold up to the turbulent wind conditions up on the roof,” he said.
The turbines are pretty low to the ground so they'll cause less of a problem for birds - and they also won't be so much of an eyesore.
Charles Cala is an engineer with the company.
"We can do small ones, we can do large ones, we can cover this whole roof with turbines," said Cala.
Each turbine is expected to cost about $7,000 to $8,000 to build.
Cala said they could pay for themselves in about seven years.
“This is something that not only makes a positive difference in the world but also makes a positive difference in someone's pocketbook," he said.
Graham said Building Turbines is definitely a family business.
“My father invented it and me and my brother work on it with a couple of other people. We have been working on it now for two years,” he said.
The company does need a little more research funding to figure out just how to make the energy available to the building it sits on top of.
However, there has already been a lot of interest in the turbines, and production could begin soon.
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